Phone call puts local police on alert at anti-government group members’ initial hearing

Update — The three men returned to court on Tuesday and continued to refuse to cooperate with the court’s inquiries in regards to their identities. The three were once again remanded back into custody of the Sheriff’s Department. No new court date has been scheduled and they were advised to inform the court when they were ready to cooperate.

Original Story

Jasper — Potential security threats brought members of three local law enforcement agencies to the Dubois County Courthouse on Monday.

Dubois County Sheriff’s deputies, Indiana State Troopers and Jasper City police officers were all on hand at the courthouse for the initial hearing of three men who claim to be members of the 12 Tribes of Yisrael. Seven officers filled Judge Mark McConnell’s superior courtroom while other officers roamed the halls and grounds.

All because of a phone call to the Dubois County Security Center stating other members of the same group would be appearing “in force” at the hearing.

According to Sheriff Donnie Lampert, the three have been compliant at the jail although they still refuse to identify themselves. When asked they refer to security agreements filed in St. Louis, MO, allegedly empowering them to refute any jurisdiction Dubois County or the state has over them in regards to the criminal charges they face.

“We received a phone call from an unidentified caller that stated they [members of the group] were going to be at the courthouse in force,” Lampert explained. “We didn’t know if they meant they were going to be here in protest, with lawyers or with guns and knives. We had no idea what they meant so we didn’t want to take any chances.”

The three men were initially identified as 32-year-old Matthew B. Hill, 30-year-old Clarence A. Holmes and 27-year-old Zoe Shalom Newsom, all of St. Louis, MO, through FBI fingerprint records. The three were arrested after they were stopped on I-64 near the 64-mile marker.

The stop was initiated by Indiana State Trooper Phil Lubbers when he observed a tan Taurus speeding on the interstate. During the stop the men refused to identify themselves or comply with Lubbers’ commands to exit the vehicle. Lubbers and other officers then attempted to gain access to the vehicle using a jimmy but the occupants held down the locks from the interior.

After about 30 minutes of attempting to open a door, troopers resorted to breaking one of the Taurus’ windows to remove the men from the vehicle. Afterwards, troopers determined the men were in possession of oxycodone and drug paraphernalia.

All three men were charged with Class D felony obstruction of justice and possession of a Schedule II controlled substance. They were also charged with misdemeanor counts of paraphernalia possession, interference with law enforcement, refusal to aid an officer and refusal to identify oneself while stopped for an infraction.

The three remained in custody at the Dubois County Security Center until their appearance in court on Monday at 1 p.m.

The three generally displayed disdain for the court proceedings and refusing to answer such simple questions as the correct pronunciation of their names. When asked whether they each understood the charges being brought against them, all three stated they did not understand based on the fact they believed the court did not have jurisdiction over them.

When asked to verify his name on the affidavit, the man identified as Clarence A. Holmes stated Holmes — as named on the affidavit — was not in the courtroom. He then provided the judge with a middle eastern name but refused to spell it for Judge McConnell when he requested it for the record. Holmes told Judge McConnell that the individual he named was identified in a security agreement in St. Louis and was present to represent Clarence A. Holme.

Judge McConnell remanded each man back into custody after he determined each would not cooperate with any questioning.

No one appeared in protest or otherwise at the courthouse during the trial and according to Lampert, no one has appeared to protest at the security center. Originally the three were thought to be part of the Sovereign Citizens, a group classified by the FBI as a domestic terrorist threat due its strong anti-government stance. They commonly use their stance to fight taxation as well as speeding and drug infractions.

“These guys aren’t attached to the Sovereign Citizens group. This is something different,” Lampert explained. “We have dealt with Sovereign Citizens and even religious groups like this. They are not Islamic though, they claim they are part of the 12 Tribes of Yisrael and are global citizens.”

The sheriff’s department is also attempting to research the security agreements mentioned in court and the men were expected to be back in court on Tuesday.

The three were escorted out of the courthouse by several police officers due to the potential threat as the video below indicates. The first man is Holmes; Hill (sticks his tongue out at the camera) and Newsom follow.